Western Christians have Advent

The believers of the Roman Catholic Church began Advent - the pre-Christmas time. In addition to Catholics, he is present in the liturgical calendar of Lutherans and some other Protestant denominations.
The word Advent comes from the Latin Adventus, which literally means 'coming.' The waiting time for the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ is about four weeks, including four Sundays. More specifically, Advent includes three full weeks with one to six additional days added, depending on which day of the week the bright holiday of Christmas falls. This year Advent began on November 29th.

During Advent, early in the morning in the temples 'Rorate' is performed - the Holy Mass in honor of the Virgin Mary. The symbol of this mass is a lighted candle, the light of which illuminates the way for believers, who are hurrying to worship in the dark. In order for the wind to blow out the candles, it is placed inside a special lantern with glass windows.
The time of Advent in the tradition of Western Christianity is usually divided into two periods. The initial lasts on the first Sunday of Advent until December 16 and is dedicated to reflections on the future Second Coming of the Savior. The second period is called the Novena (nine days before the celebration of Christmas) and lasts from December 17 to 24. It is a direct preparation for Christmas and is dedicated to the First Coming of the Lord into the world - the Incarnation.

The four Sundays of Advent in the liturgical calendar are equal in importance to the great holidays. If any other holiday falls on one of them, it is postponed to Monday. From the first of these Sundays, the account of the new liturgical (church) year begins.
Each Advent Sunday is dedicated to a special figure in Sacred history and related events described in the New Testament. They correspond to the Gospel readings that are heard on this day during the service. The first resurrection of Advent, as already mentioned, is traditionally associated with the Second Coming of Christ. The second and third are dedicated to the prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, whose sermon preceded the public ministry of the Son of God. Finally, on the fourth Sunday, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the events that immediately preceded the Incarnation are remembered.
and the first candle 'src =' / upload / medialibrary / d6a / d6a0637c95d71fd521c15004cd6cb6f7.jpg 'height =' 300 'title =' Consecration of Advent wreaths and the first candle 'align =' left '> One of the main symbols of this Christmas time is the Advent wreath branches of evergreen trees and plants (spruce, holly, mistletoe, nertera and others) with four candles.For greater beauty, the wreath is wrapped in multi-colored (most often red and golden) ribbons, decorated with bells and angels; natural decorations - berries may also be present on it.

On the first Sunday of Advent, believers light the first of the four candles on the wreath - the candle of Prophecy, the fire of which symbolizes the words of the Old Testament prophets about the coming coming of the Son of God. The second candle is lit on the second Sunday of Advent and is called the Bethlehem candle, the third is the Shepherds 'candle, and the fourth is the Angels' candle. By the name of each of the candles, it is easy to understand which of the events associated with the Incarnation are remembered on each of the four Sundays. If on the first Sunday only one candle burns, then on the second - already two, on the third - three, and, finally, on the fourth Sunday of Advent all four candles are burning, heralding the imminent arrival of Christmas. The candles do not burn all day, but only for a few hours, as a rule, in the evening, when the whole family gathers around the Advent wreath for prayer and spiritual conversation. And on Christmas Eve, all the candles on the wreath are lit and burned until they are completely burnt out. The Advent wreath can be seen not only on the table in the homes of believers, but also in the temple, where it is placed in the altar.

Another attribute of this pre-Christmas time - the Advent calendar - appeared relatively recently. German woman Frau Lang came up with it to make the expectation of Christmas more entertaining and visual for children. The classic Advent calendar is a wooden or cardboard box with opening windows. There are exactly as many of them as there are days of Advent. Behind each of the windows is a chocolate figurine; in European countries they are sold in stores under the name 'New Year's Set'.

However, a lot of great joy for both children and adults is delivered by hand-made calendars. Often chocolates in the windows for such calendars replaced by verses from the Holy Scriptures related to the events of Christmas, or short lists of good deeds that are good to do on a particular day.
There are other options for this calendar. For example, in the Scandinavian countries it is made from a large potato in the shape of a pig, without which the Christmas table is unthinkable. The pig's legs are made of sticks, the tail is made of wood shavings, the piglet, ears, eyes and mouth are made of pink cardboard. Matches are stuck into the body of a potato pig, according to the number of days of Advent - and every day they pull out one. Children and adults know that the fewer matches are left in an impromptu pig, the more weight and taste are gained by its living counterpart in the barn.

Another attribute that is usually arranged in Sunday school classrooms is the Advent ladder. Ideally, the number of steps corresponds to the number of days before Christmas. An empty manger with hay is installed at the bottom of the stairs, and the Star of Bethlehem is placed above the topmost step. Figurine of a baby - the Son of the Lord God - every day goes down one step in order to be in a manger on December 25, on the holiday of Christmas. The descent of the Infant of God helps children visually feel the approach of the holiday, when the King of Kings was born in human form.